Lagerstroemia plant named &#39;PIILAG-III&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lagerstroemia  plant named ‘PIILAG-III’, characterized by its compact, upright intermediate growth habit, red-purple new growth and dark green foliage in summer, red-purple fall color, true red flowers, and resistance to powdery mildew and  Cercospora  leaf spot.

GENUS AND SPECIES OF PLANT CLAIMED

Lagerstroemia L.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘PIILAG-III’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lagerstroemia plant, botanically known as Lagerstroemia L., commonly known as crapemyrtle, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘PIILAG-III’.

The new Lagerstroemia plant originated in 2006 from open-pollinated seed of ‘Gamad I’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,917). The cultivar ‘PIILAG-III’ originated and was discovered in a cultivated environment in Dearing, Ga.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by stem cuttings in Watkinsville, Ga. since 2006 has shown that all the unique features of this new Lagerstroemia, as herein described, are stable and reproduced true-to-type through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new cultivar ‘PIILAG-III’ have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with changes in light, temperature, soil and rainfall without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be unique characteristics of ‘PIILAG-III’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘PIILAG-III’ as a new and distinct cultivar: 1. Compact, upright, intermediate growth habit; 2. Red-purple new growth and dark green foliage in summer; 3. Red-purple fall color; 4. True red flowers; 5. Resistance to powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot.

Plants of the new Lagerstroemia ‘PIILAG-III’ differ from plants of the parent, ‘Gamad I’, primarily in flower color and growth habit. Plants of ‘Gamad I’ have cherry red flowers, and a low, spreading growth habit, whereas plants of have true red flowers and a more upright and overall larger growth habit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying color photographs illustrate the flower and foliage characteristics and the overall appearance of the new Lagerstroemia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in color reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Lagerstroemia.

FIG. 1 illustrates the overall appearance of a mature plant of ‘PIILAG-III’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of the inflorescences of ‘PIILAG-III’.

FIG. 3 illustrates a close-up view of the new growth of ‘PIILAG-III’.

FIG. 4 illustrates a close-up view of the fall color of ‘PIILAG-III’.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the description were approximately two and a half years old and were grown in 11.8 L containers under outdoor conditions in Watkinsville, Ga. Colors are described using The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (RHS).

-   Botanical classification: Lagerstroemia L., cultivar ‘PIILAG-III’.     Parentage: Female, or seed, parent — Lagerstroemia ‘Gamad I’. Male,     or pollen, parent — unknown (open-pollinated). Propagation: Type     cutting — terminal cuttings. Time to initiate roots, summer — about     21 days at 32 C° . -   Plant description: Flowering shrub; compact, upright growth habit.     Freely branching; pruning enhances lateral branch development.     -   -   Root description.—numerous, fine, fibrous and well-branched.         -   Plant size.—the original plant, now about four-years-old in             the ground, is about 150 cm high from the soil level to the             top of the inflorescences and about 120 cm wide. First year             stems having a diameter of about 2 mm. Shape: squarish.             Second year and older stems have a diameter of about 5 mm or             more. Shape: round.         -   Trunk diameter.—about 2.2 cm at the soil line. Color: close             to 199A.         -   Internode length.—about 1.5 cm.         -   Strength.—flexible when young, easily broken once mature.         -   First year stem color (young).—close to 180A. Color (woody):             close to N199B.         -   Second year and older stem color.—close to N199D.         -   Bark.—exfoliates in strips beginning on second or third year             stems. -   Vegetative buds: Sub-opposite to alternate in arrangement,     imbricate, conical, with no pubescence. Color: close to 178B. Size:     about 3 mm in length and 2 mm in width. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—sub-opposite to alternate, simple. Length:             about 4.5 cm. Width: about 2.2 cm. Shape: elliptical. Apex:             acuminate. Base: cuneate. Margin: entire.         -   Texture (upper and lower surfaces).—glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—pinnate. Venation color of emerging             foliage (upper and lower surfaces): 181A. Venation color of             fully expanded foliage (upper surface): close to 146B.             Venation color of fully expanded foliage (lower surface):             close to 146D.         -   Color in developing foliage (upper and lower             surfaces).—close to 183A. Color in fully expanded foliage             (upper surface): close to 147A. Color in fully expanded             foliage (lower surface): close to 147B. Some of the mature             foliage is close to 187A.         -   Color of leaf margin in developing foliage (upper and lower             surfaces).—181A. Color of leaf margin in fully expanded             foliage (upper and lower surfaces) ranges from 181B to 146B.         -   Fall color.—can be 179A, 183C, or any combination of these             colors.         -   Petiole length.—about 2 mm. Petiole diameter: about 1 mm.             Petiole color (upper and lower surfaces): close to 146B.             Pubescence: none. -   Flower description: Flowers are produced from about June to     September in Watkinsville, Ga. An inflorescence is showy for about     two weeks, and individual flowers last about one day and are     self-cleaning.     -   -   Inflorescence type.—panicle. Inflorescence length: about             13 cm. Inflorescence width: about 10 cm.         -   Peduncle.—about 11.5 cm in length, about 2 mm in diameter,             color is close to 183B, and no pubescence.         -   Individual flowers.—about 2.2 cm by 4 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: about 9 mm; Diameter: about 8 mm;             Color: close to 187B, maturing close to 46A.         -   Pedicels.—about 1 cm in length, close to 53A in color, and             no pubescence.         -   Calyx.—about 1 cm in length, about 8 mm in diameter, color             close to 46A, and no pubescence. -   Petals:     -   -   Arrangement/appearance.—usually 6 per flower.         -   Petal length.—about 2 cm.         -   Petal width.—about 1.5 cm.         -   Petal shape.—fan-shaped. Petal apex: ruffled, rounded. Petal             base: sagittate. Petal margin: ruffled. Petal texture (upper             and lower surfaces): glabrous.         -   Petal color.—upper and lower surfaces are close to 53A. -   Stamens:     -   -   Quantity/arrangement.—About 20 to 25 short stamens clustered             in the center, about 8 mm long, filament color is close to             38B, and anther color is close to 14A. The short stamens are             surrounded by 6 longer stamens, about 1.5 cm long. Filament             color is close to 53A, and anther color is close to 14A. The             stamens are not pubescent. Pollen: produced in moderate             quantities and is close to 9B in color. -   Pistils:     -   -   Quantity.—One superior pistil per flower. Pubescence: none.             Pistil length: about 2 cm in length. Stigma shape: round,             about 1 mm in diameter. Stigma color: close to 148A. Style             color: close to 181A and about 1.3 cm in length. Ovary             color: close to 10B and about 3 mm in diameter. -   Fruit:     -   -   Type/appearance.—six-valved, dehiscent, broad ellipsoidal             capsule. Length: about 9 mm. Diameter: about 8 mm. Mature             color: close to 200C. Each capsule contains many seeds that             are about 6 mm long, 4 mm wide, and close to 200C in color. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the claimed Lagerstroemia variety     grown in field and container trials have exhibited resistance to     powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot. 

1. A new and distinct Lagerstroemia plant named PIILAG-III“, as illustrated and described herein. 